1. Technical Field
This invention relates generally to a single sheet business form mailer, and more particularly to a two-way Z-fold business form mailer having a preconstructed return envelope.
2. History of Related Art
Business form mailers adapted to be used to both transmit customer or recipient information, such as invoices, and return information and/or other articles, such as payment receipts and checks, are commonly used in the course of everyday commerce. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,201,464, issued Apr. 13, 1993, to Jerry E. File for Pressure Seal C-fold Two-way Mailer describes a single sheet business form mailer which, in one arrangement, variable data requires duplex printing on both sides of the form, while in a second embodiment, variable data is printed on only a single side of the form but requires a die-cut window so that the outgoing address information is visible from the exterior of the mailer. Duplex printing of variable data on a business form requires twice the time to print on both sides of the form, thereby increasing processing time and expense to prepare the forms for mailing. Additionally, the paper utilized in duplex printing will often curl, causing feeding problems through the printer. Furthermore, die-cut windows add significantly to the cost of the form and adversely affect the stackability and storage of the forms due to puckering of the cut forms at the corners of the die-cut window.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,513,795, issued May 7, 1996 to Dean N. Saurwine, discloses a Z-fold mailer with a reusable reply envelope. This form also requires duplex printing, i.e., the printing of variable information on both sides of the form. Also, after receiving the mailer, the initial addressee must carefully construct a return envelope in such a way as to cover any remaining original address indicia on the reply envelope.
More recently, co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/100,473, filed June 1998, for a Two-way Z-fold Business Form Mailer by James Harold Abercrombie, a co-inventor of the present invention, discloses a two-way mailer that addresses some of the problems inherent in the above-described prior art. While the business form mailer in the co-pending application offers many advantages, the form requires that the addressee remove tear tabs along the side of the form to open the form and then re-moisten moisture-activated adhesive strips provided along three edges to form a return envelope.
The present invention is directed to overcoming the problems set forth above. It is desirable to have a business form mailer in which all variable information to be entered on the form can be printed on a single surface by one pass through a simplex or laser single-side printer. It is also desirable to have such a form that does not require die-cut windows and is stackable for compact storage for relatively long periods of time. It is also desirable to have such a mailer in which the return envelope is preconstructed so that the initial addressee merely has to seal one side to close the envelope before returning it with payment or other return information.